Former President and SDP member criticizes the opposition leader.
Former President Ivo Josipović, who is currently the president of the Forward Croatia party, said he was disappointed with the election campaign so far since it had turned into insults. He added he was particularly disappointed with recent statements made by SDP leader Zoran Milanović, reports Večernji List on August 28, 2016.
Josipović commented on the latest events on Saturday evening in Varaždin. “We can see that the campaign has turned into insults and that is not good. I am especially disappointed by statements made by SDP president who has turned not only to right-wing rhetoric, but also to rhetoric which is not appropriate for a statesman”, said Josipović commenting on Milanović’s recent statements about Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Josipović said that the best reaction to Milanović’s statements had been given by former Foreign Minister and Milanović’s coalition partner Vesna Pusić. She said that people should stop exaggerating when commenting on relations with the two countries, and added that Serbia’s law on regional jurisdiction for war crimes prosecution should be solved through bilateral negotiations.
“The current rude rhetoric toward our neighbours is being presented as a fight for national interests and patriotism. However, that is exactly the opposite, since our national interest is to solve the problem. It is not rational to insult people and demolish bridges for dialogue”, said former President Josipović. According to him, the solution would be a bilateral agreement like the one which Josipović proposed at the time when Serbia’s President was Boris Tadić.
As for the results of the elections, Josipović expects similar result like last year, with some slight differences. “What I expect is that MOST will probably decide who will form the next government. I hope that MOST will try to make that government stable”, said Josipović. “This escalation of irresponsible right-wing rhetoric is something that undermines the values of the Croatian society and I hope that the new government will do everything to stop negative trends in the economy and in the society”, concluded Josipović.
Josipović was an SDP member and MP before he was elected to the presidency in 2010. After he lost the elections for the second term in 2015, he formed his own party Forward Croatia, which failed to enter Parliament last year. The party is not taking part in this year’s elections.
